Ministry-To-Children

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Sunday School Lessons for Kids

Start your planning with our 100% free materials for kids Sunday School. You’ll find thousands of lessons and activities for Sunday School on our website. Below is what we recommend for this week. You can also search by scripture, Bible story, or theme.

Lesson Plans (Easy Printable) for this Week

New & Updated for 2019

The Walk – 4 week study on following Jesus – PDF download

Praise God through the Psalms – 32 lessons

Parables of Jesus (9 lessons)

What is God Like? 42 week curriculum on the Attributes of God

How To Win Against Sin – 9 week study on the Armor of God

The Lord’s Prayer (10 lessons)

Already have a theme or Bible story in mind? Use our search tool to find the lesson’s activities, crafts, and for your class. We post Sunday’s lessons from the International Sunday School Lesson – Uniform Series.
You will also see Bible studies based on the Gospel reading in the Revised Common Lectionary.

Ministry-To-Children Sunday School Lessons

Age Specific Lesson Plans

Activities for Sunday School

Seasonal & Holidays Lessons

Free Sunday School Materials from Other Websites

The following websites have a good selection of free Bible teaching materials for children. Many of these companies offer curriculum for sale. However, there is plenty of free help to keep you busy for many months.

The index by scripture reference is a work in progress. For each book of the Bible you will find a variety of lessons, crafts, coloring pages and more. Some books will have more content than others. This index is not exhaustive because we’re tagging materials as we update them throughout 2019. It’s a new way to browse our content.

Bible Reference Index (Alphabetical)

  • Children’s Sermon for Labor Day Weekend Work & Rest Children’s Sermon Every child need to learn what it means to rest in Jesus – especially with the hectic pace of life taking over childhood. Download this free Labor Day children’s sermon and watch our teaching example video below. Easy Print PDF –Download “The Blessing of Rest” Children’s Sermon for Labor Day https://youtu.be/RwihBaFf5zQ Main Objective: In our culture, we thrive on perpetual momentum, constantly keeping busy and trying to “work” and accomplish as much as possible. Unfortunately, this sometimes even rubs off on kids, who are bustled from one practice to another and feel the weight of performance. This message seeks to communicate the importance of rest. Whether the occasion is Labor Day, back to school, or just taking a break in general, it’s essential to pause and appreciate God’s commandment to periodically cease our labor. Law/Gospel Theme: Under the weight of the law, we are tempted to be always doing, achieving, trying to reach something. The blessing and beauty of the Gospel reminds us that we do not have to be always busy or working nonstop. God has not made us human “doings” but human “beings.” His grace already covers anything we might need. He allows us to rest in His peace. Object Lesson Props:  Calendar or day planner, phone, clock (optional) Bible Passage: Various verses referenced (see below) Bonus Ideas: Some more inspiration for your teaching video example of this message or browse all object lessons   Labor Day Sunday School Lesson lesson about work and rest from Children’s Ministry Magazine Keep the Sabbath coloring page from our 10 Commandments Coloring Book Labor Day Object Lesson on Work & Rest Greet students, in a somewhat flustered or “busied” manner Hello friends! So, I have something I want to share with you today, but first I have a question…has anyone done anything special this week? Anything important? I mean, have you made a serious contribution to society, or maybe earned an award, or finished a lot of special assignments? Anybody? Well, here’s what I want to show you (take out planner/calendar, packed full of writing and tasks): This is my planner. You see, in it I have all of the essential dates and things I need to remember. As you can see, I am extremely busy. In fact, I have a lot of important tasks on here, and I have to have them written down, or I might forget them and miss something. Plus, it’s fun to see what I’ve accomplished and check off my boxes as I do things. See, here’s my meeting, and there’s my job, and here’s my gym appointment, and over here is the run club…oh look! I even have things spilling over into the next months. Look at September already…oh, and on this day (point to date) we have “Labor Day.” That means a lot of places are closed, because a long time ago in America, some people got together and decided we needed to honor workers. They arranged a special holiday to celebrate people who work hard, and on Labor Day we can take a day off. But I happen to think that day off might be a great opportunity to catch up on some extra work! Let’s see what I can check off my list… (have a phone alarm or friend call arranged ahead of time, so that a phone goes off. Or you can just pretend that the phone is going off in a pocket. Have a “conversation” to emphasize your busy-ness). Hello? Oh, hi there! Yes, I know it’s been awhile since we got to hang out….yes, I know. I have just been sooooo busy…hmm, let me peek at my calendar here. Wow, there’s a lot going on. Well, let’s see….maybe I could meet up on October—no, wait, I’m leading a Sabbath seminar then. Ummm, how about….well, we might need to wait until Thanksgiving. Or, let’s see, I could squeeze you in, how about November 15th? Probably around 9-9:30. We can grab some coffee. I’ll have my work with me, just in case…Okay, great. See you then. Thanks, Mom! Love you! (“hang up”) So, that would not be a kind way to treat my mom, would it? In case you didn’t notice, that was a joke. But sometimes we do get a little too busy, don’t we? See, we get so caught up in tasks and being busy and looking important and doing things, and sometimes we miss what is truly important in our lives! We think if we are busier than others that will make us special somehow. We think we need to be on the go and doing things all the time. But you know what? The Bible tells us otherwise. In fact, God commands us to sometimes take a break and rest. In fact, He took a day off! After making the world and everything in it, God took the seventh day and rested. Now, God did not need to rest necessarily, but wanted to set an example for us. We need to take time to pause and re-charge. In the Psalms, God says to “be still and know that I am God.” He wants us to be still and just chill! God did not make us to be always working. We don’t have to do anything or achieve anything to be acceptable in His eyes. God loves us just the way we are, because that is how He made us! Jesus promised to help us carry our work load, and not to worry about this world. Jesus also told us not to think too highly of ourselves. Life is not a race to see who can do the most things. In order to be great in God’s eyes, we need humility, thinking less of ourselves. When we let ourselves rest, we recognize that God is in control. He will take care of what we need. We are human, and cannot do everything on our own power. Taking rest reminds us that we are dependent on God for everything. He has already given us all we need, and we can pause and enjoy His presence. So whether it is Labor Day or any day, don’t forget to take a break! Children’s Prayer Moment (Have kids repeat each line, if desired) Dear God, Thank you for all of your blessings Thank you for the stories of the Bible. Help us remember to rest in You And be more aware of your presence Thank you for your love We love you, God! Thank you for Jesus In His name, Amen! Bible Verses for this Object Lesson And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when He rested from all His work of creation. ~ Genesis 2:3 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. -Exodus 20:8-10 “Be still, and know that I am God.     I will be exalted among the nations,     I will be exalted in the earth!”  -Psalm 46:10 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. -Luke 14:11 Coloring Page Activity for this Lesson 4th Commandment Coloring Page – Remember the Sabbath Rest in Jesus Memory Verse Kids need to know the blessing of resting in Jesus – labor day is a great time to teach that truth.
  • Bible Lesson (Ephesians 6:1-4) Obey Your Parents Here is a lesson plan on the Bible verse that says children obey your parents. I wrote it for a chapel service at our Christian school. There were about 40 kids from preschool to 5th grade in the room. Because the children have a strong background of Bible knowledge I wanted to focus on heart application. The whole lesson is build around an extended object lesson about obeying your parents. About 7 years ago, I read about the circle of blessing concept in Ted Tripp’s Shepherding a Child’s Heart.  I worked the idea into a family devotion and my oldest son still remembers the demonstration. This lesson plan would be ideal for a children’s church or Sunday School setting. Families could also use it at home in devotions. Like all our resources, you are free to print it out and use it as you like. Bible Point: Children Obey Your ParentsScripture: Ephesians 6:1-4Target Age Group: Age 4 – 11 (U.S. K4 – 5th Grade)Learning Context: Children’s ChurchTarget Time Frame: 40 minutes Learning Objectives: After this lesson, children will demonstrate an understanding of the “circle of blessing” concept by responding to agree/disagree questions as a group. After this lesson, children will demonstrate a new desire to obey their parents, by picking one action they can do differently. Items Needed: Circle of about 3ft diameter. I used a piece of rope attached to the floor with masking tape. A large hula-hoop would also work. Squirt-gun or plastic spray bottle. You could use a sports whistle to add optional emphasis. Optional props: stuffed animal horse, play money, hand held video game, math book, and posters to display the listening questions Gospel Connection: Both kids and adults fall short of this command. Our hearts have not always given the honor and love to our parents. The grace of Jesus allows us to return to the circle of blessing through repentance and faith. Jesus took the punishment for our sins and can grant forgiveness for our former disobedience. Kids (and parents) must trust in the goodness of Jesus in our place – that’s the ultimate circle of blessing. Optional: Download our free obedience coloring page to use with this lesson. Obey Your Parents – Ephesians 6:1-4 – Sunday School Lesson Getting Attention: Set up the circle and a few of the props while the children are watching. Do not make any comments except to say how excited you are about today’s lesson. The children will build interest and excitement to match your own. Active Listening: Before you read the Bible verse, ask the children to listen carefully for the answer to these question. “What can I do to make my life better? What could I do to make my life worse?” For added emphasis you could display these questions on a marker board or poster board. I chose red colored for the negative and yellow for the positive question. Then carefully read the key Bible verse: Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Ask the children if they can answer those two questions. Introduce the lesson by saying: That’s what we’re learning about today. I have a special name for this I call the “Circle of Blessing.” Can you repeat that with me? “Circle of Blessing.” Let’s Talk about that Bible Verse: Ask for volunteers to explain tricky parts to you. Use their answers as jumping off points to briefly clarify the meaning of this passage. Here are some parts that I chose for elaboration: honor your Father and mother (what does that mean?) it’s more than just obeying but treating them like important people with love & respect commandment with a promise (what does that mean?) it’s the first of the 10 Commandments that comes with a specific promise from God, there is a reward if you do this right go well with you (what does that mean?) that God will help your life work out better, not perfect but much better than it would be if you did not obey live long in the land (what does that mean?) when God first said this it was talking about the promised land, but for Christians the promised land is mainly about heaven, if your parents teach you about Jesus you can have eternal life in heaven what if they tell me to do bad things? because of sin, parents have sometimes asked their children to do things that are wrong (i.e. abuse or lying to hide abuse). In children are unsure, teach them to ask other trusted adults for help in knowing what to do. Circle of Blessing Object Lesson: Invite a child to come up to the front of the room. Have them stand inside an imaginary circle of about 3ft diameter. Then say: This is the circle of blessing. It’s a way to imagine the way obedience keeps us out of danger. Just like our Bible verse says, God will watch over us while we obey our parents. To move outside the circle is like disobeying. Moving outside the circle brings danger. At this point surprise the child by showing them a squirt-gun (or water bottle that sprays a mist) that you previously had hidden. Tell them as long as they are in the circle they are safe, but outside the circle they are in danger. Demonstrate by shooting a jet of water outside the circle. Then ask the child to step outside the circle to the spot you just shot. Then give them a short blast of water. Then say: When we obey our parents it’s like staying inside the circle, God will keep us safe. But when we disobey it is like stepping outside the circle. When we do that we cause bad things to happen to our lives. Circle of Blessing Case Stories: Ask for a series of volunteers to model the following scenarios using the circle of blessing. Have the child stand in the middle of the circle while you tell the story. Move them outside the circle as the character in the story clearly disobeys their parents. Pretend like you are talking about the child who has volunteered. At the marked parts in the story ask the class to respond if the person is still in the circle or not. After each repeat the main concept that obedience brings safety. Hint: Be sure to pick children who won’t be upset by getting a little wet. I even ask the volunteer if they will cry when they get sprayed. Obviously, this should be a silly activity and fun for all the children involved. Kristy’s Story: What do you think might happen next? Allow a few responses from the children. After each answer give her a little squirt from the water. This should be funny when it happens.  Some possible answers: The horse could bite, or the owner could be mad, or she could be hurt by a car driving too fast down the road. Then say: all these things are bad things, but Kristy could have avoided them by showing obedience to her parents. What could she have done better? Move her back into the center of the circle as they tell you. Bobby’s Story: What do you think might happen next? Allow a few responses from the children. After each answer give her a little squirt from the water. Some possible answers: He will get ground, he will get a bad grade on his report card, he will not be able to get into college, he will always over tip at restaurants, he will get away with the lie and it will become a habit he can’t stop. After each answer give her a little squirt from the water. Then say: all these things are bad things, but Bobby could have stayed safe by obeying his parents. How could he have shown obedience? Move him back into the circle to visualize obeying your parents. Joey’s Story: Joey loves it when people pay attention to him. His favorite thing is to tell a funny story at Recess when kids gather around to listen. It makes him feel important. What do you think will happen next? Allow a few responses from the children. After each answer give her a little squirt from the water. Some possible answers: The kids would laugh at his grandfather when they saw him at church, his parents would be hurt that he was making fun of their grandfathers suffering, his friends might think it’s ok to make fun of older people, he might get into the habbit of mocking people. Then say: all these things are bad things, but what should Joey have done to make his life better. Move the him back into the circle as the children tell you what the obedient action would have been. Sara’s Story: What do you think will happen next? Allow a few responses from the children. After each answer give her a little squirt from the water. Some possible answers: It was her dad’s lunch money for the next day,  she could get sick, her mom would find out and she could get grounded, she would get into the habit of sneaking & stealing. Then say: Those are terrible consequences that she could have avoided by obeying her parents. What should she have done. As they tell you the right choices move the child back inside the circle. Agree / Disagree : Have the children respond as a group to the following questions. If the statement is right they should stand up, if wrong they should stay seated and cross their arms. Disobeying is okay if you know your parents will say NO Since your parents put the school in charge of you, to honor your parents means to obey your teacher too If you always obey your parents, your life will always be perfect Once you disobey, you can’t get back inside the circle When Jesus was a child, he always obeyed his human parents God doesn’t care if we have a bad attitude when we obey God promised a better life for those who obey It’s not really disobeying if you parents didn’t actually say NO When Jesus was a grown-up, he always obeyed his “Father in Heaven” New Ways To Honor & Obey ” Closing: Lead the children in prayer thanking God for our parents. Ask for new hearts that help them obey.
  • Children’s Sermon (Luke 13:10-17) Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Easy Print PDFDownload Children’s Message: Does the Day Matter?Jesus Changes the Rules  https://youtu.be/igyc32F6nVQ Teaching example of this children message & Bible object lesson Main Objective: Sometimes we get distracted and focused on the wrong things. In the life of Christ, there were many times when Jesus clashed with the church. This story highlights one of them, with the church leaders placing the emphasis on the wrong things and criticizing Jesus for doing something wonderful. The goal of this message is to communicate to kids that we want to love and serve God first and foremost.  In Luke 13:10-17, Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath Law/Gospel Theme: The church leaders who dealt with Jesus completely missed the Gospel, because they completely missed Christ! They were so focused on the letter of the law that they missed the Messiah. The law had particular rules about days and ways of doing things. Jesus came not to abolish that law, but to fulfill it. His life changed and replaced the old rules with a beautiful new thing.  Optional Materials:  Seasonal items: Calendar, holiday items, etc.  Bible Passage: Luke 13:10-17 Bonus Ideas: Some more inspiration for your teaching video teaching example of this message or browse all object lessons activity ideas for this passage from Sermons 4 Kids Jesus Healing on the Sabbath Note: All elements are open to adjustment. Cater to the needs and ages of your group. Children’s Message / Object Lesson (Luke 13:10-17) Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Greet students, and discuss some seasonal frustrations… Hello again! You know, I have lately seen something that frustrates me…the stores are full of Halloween supplies! Can you believe that? (pull out a pumpkin or other seasonal decoration) Look at this? It is still August! We’re just barely starting school! The weather is still hot! It’s not time to think about all of this. You know, I’ve even seen pumpkin spice in some stores! Next they’ll be selling Christmas ornaments, for crying out loud! This is absurd! (Hold up calendar) See? NOT time for those seasonal things. Oh, but…I will say one thing I approve of: CANDY CORN (Hold up bag of fall themed candy corn). This is okay. This we can have around, even in August. Why, you might ask? Well….I mean, I like candy corn. So…that I approve of.  Does this seem strange? Probably. And it probably seems a little like a contradiction. Why would I say one thing is not okay, but another thing just like it is? Well, in the Gospel story today, Jesus dealt with some people who were struggling with rules and regulations, and were making some strange contradictory statements. You see, Jesus went to the Temple, the church, and he healed someone. There was a woman who was crippled; she couldn’t walk and had been that way for a long time. Jesus touched her and immediately made her better. What an amazing thing! But the church leaders were not so impressed. In fact, they got mad at Jesus! They were upset because He did something on the Sabbath day. You see, back then there were a lot of very specific rules for the Sabbath. These days we go to church on Sundays, and it should be a special day set aside for God. But back in Bible times there were many things that told people what they could and could not do on the Sabbath. They did not want any sort of work done, and they told Jesus He had done work because someone was healed. Jesus pointed out that they would have allowed a donkey to be untied if it was needed, but they didn’t want to let someone out from the bondage of pain and suffering!  The problem was that these church leaders completely missed who Jesus was and the important nature of what He was doing. They were distracted and focused on all the wrong things. They were concerned with how they would look, or with following just the right rules or doing the right thing. They wanted the laws followed just right…and they didn’t see Jesus as the Savior, the One they said they were waiting for! This might seem silly. But sometimes we get distracted, too. We let our minds and hearts wander and we worry about the wrong things. It’s important for us to keep our eyes on Jesus and recognize who He is. It is important to follow what the Bible tells us, or to take a special day on the Sabbath. But we can get so caught up in those things that we forget to look at God first and foremost. When we find ourselves too caught up in details, we need to come back to humbly fixing our eyes on the Savior. It’s all about Jesus. He does, has done, and will do amazing things for us. Let’s not get so caught up in details that we forget that our faith is all about someone, not some things. Can you pray with me to thank God for that?  Children’s Prayer Moment (Have kids repeat each line, if desired) Dear God, Thank you for all your amazing miracles You are always present in our lives Help us to remember that To focus on the right things And to love and serve you and your people Thank you for your love We love you, God! Thank you for Jesus In His name, Amen! Luke 13:10-17 NIV On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.  Luke 13:10-17
  • Sunday School Lesson (Jeremiah 1:4-10) God Wants to Use You Download this free Sunday School lesson to teach kids the story of Jeremiah’s calling and how God wants to use them (even when they are kids). The link below includes the complete lesson plan, two coloring sheet options, and craft idea. Easy Print PDFDownload Children sometimes develop a mindset that they are in a “waiting room” of sorts. “Young people are the future of the church,” some say…but do we fail to recognize that young people are the church of today? The story of Jeremiah reminds us that God can use anyone at any age. Kids don’t need to sit around and hope for eventual faith. This lesson aims to help them recognize that God has a plan for them both eventually and right now. God can use them and knows them. Most importantly, God will guide their words and ways, so they can always find strength and security in Him.  Lesson focus: God knows us inside and out. He has created each one of us for a special purpose and has a plan for every life. We can get started on following His plan at any age and time, and He will help us when we aren’t sure what to do.  Passage: Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6 Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade Materials Needed: Paper bags, decorative materials, stickers, markers, nice paper or card stock Bonus Ideas: Jeremiah Coloring Page (included in printable lesson above) another lesson plan on this same Bible passage Don’t Say I’m Only a Youth cartoon & coloring page on our website activities for this Bible story from Sermons 4 Kids Worship Music Video from 1 Timothy 4:12 Worship Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI-P0uRIcPQ Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young – worship song for Sunday School Opening Activities / Lesson Introduction Lesson Opening: Kick off the lesson with a couple of fun activities to get them thinking about how God knows and loves us, and how He will help us to do whatever He has called us to do.  Do you know me? Have students come up with a unique fact about themselves, something they don’t think others would know. Invite kids to write their fact down on a slip of paper (this will be best for older kids, unless you have several helpers to assist young ones with writing) and place all of the papers into a box or bag. One by one, draw out facts and see if other students can guess who wrote the special detail. Explain that there are always things we may not know about one another. But there is someone who knows more about us than even we do! That’s God.  “Don’t worry, I’ll help you.” As a leader, set out a complicated task that students would likely not be able to complete on their own. This could be some sort of drawing, putting together an item, tying a special knot, decorating a cupcake…just make it something that will require extra tools/supplies/directions…at first, tell the kids what they have to do, and start to walk away. When students begin worrying about their abilities, let them know that you are there to guide them through every step of the activity, and you will be their helper.  Discuss with students how today they will be learning about how God is a helper and provider. He knows us all and loves us, and calls us to follow Him at any age. You don’t even have to be grown up to serve God. He will give you everything you need to equip you for your role in His kingdom.  Bible Lesson (Jeremiah 1:4-10) God Wants to Use You Ask students if they have ever experienced not being able to do something because they were too small or too young. Invite some sharing. How does that feel? Explain that sometimes we think we have to wait to be old enough to do things. But God wants to use us at any age. In the Bible, God came to someone named Jeremiah, and told him that he was going to be a prophet. That means God was giving Him a special job announcing to people the words that God was saying. Invite students to look at the opening verses of the prophet’s book: Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” -Jeremiah 1:4-5 “Wow, God had a job for Jeremiah before he was even born! Did you know God had a job for you picked out before you were born? He knows what your life will be like before anyone else knows!” Emphasize to children that God understands everything about them and has created them for something incredible. Then continue the passage, talking about Jeremiah’s uncertainty. Jeremiah was nervous hearing these words from God. He wondered how he would be able to do anything special or important, since he was just a kid: Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” -Jeremiah 1:6-8 “God is pretty clear there. Have you ever been nervous or wondered how to do something? Most of us probably have!” …Share a time that you might have needed help or extra instruction in order to do something. Explain that God is promising to be with Jeremiah. He is not going to give him a job and leave him in the dust. He will give him courage and also tell him what to say. That sounds pretty neat! In our lives, we might not always hear a big booming voice from God with specific words. We might not have it all spelled out. But when we read our Bibles, pray, and pay attention to those around us, we can get an idea of what God wants and how He might want us to serve. Maybe it means sitting next to the new kid at lunchtime, or sharing a special word or smile with a friend. Maybe it’s putting some allowance in the offering plate or donation organization. The key to remember is that no matter what we are doing, if we are doing it for God, He is with us. We are working for Him, not for our own sake.  Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” -Jeremiah 1:9-10 This is a beautiful promise. God is working through our lives. Whatever we do, His hand is behind it. Perhaps God has a plan for kids to be rocket scientists, or Olympians, or presidents, or housekeepers or bakers. Students do not yet know what His plans are for three decades down the road. They might not understand how He is working in their lives. But they don’t have to wait and wonder. They can work every day, at any age, to serve Him. God has given us love and grace, and promises to be with us to do His work, whatever that might be. Invite students to brainstorm some ways that their words and actions might be able to help one another and serve God. Are there things they might be anxious about? For you, O Lord, are my hope,     my trust, O Lord, from my youth. 6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;     you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. -Psalm 71:5-6 The Psalmist here is comforted in anxiety because he knows that God is a constant hope and strength. Have older students read surrounding verses in this Psalm, and for younger students put into simpler words. Invite them to consider what is happening and being said here. Why is the Lord our hope? Because He made us! We know we can trust in Him because He knows us. Therefore we give God praise. And that is another thing that is great to do at any age. Even kids who can’t yet read or write can lift their voices in song and hands in praise. This is an example to everyone! Encourage students to demonstrate joy and gratitude for God’s works. In this way they can be a light to others all around them. Why such joy? We know that God loves us, made us, and has a purpose for us. He will guide us every day in every way.  Close with prayer and thank God for giving us strength and purpose all of the time and anytime. Ask for His help to know and follow His plan and to lean on Him for wisdom.  Craft Idea “Hope Booklets” Have students create special “hope booklets” to remember that God is their strength and guide. Provide each student with several pieces of nice paper or cardstock and pens. Have them assist in coming up with a list of words or ideas that can help them when they are feeling inadequate or uncertain. These could be things like “God has a plan for me” or “Trust means knowing I’m in God’s arms.” Or it could be more complex words like “sympathy means I hurt when someone else is hurting”; “God gives strength to work for Him;” “A friendly smile can share God’s love”; or even a Bible verse. Allow students to decorate their cards, and put them together with a stapler or string.  For younger students, create a bookmark with a verse caption printed. (Psalm 71:5) Or invite them to make a fun Jeremiah paper bag puppet, attaching one of the verses to a man with “words put into his mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9).  “Book of Jeremiah” Coloring Page Jeremiah Cartoon Coloring Page Jeremiah 1:7
  • “Back to School ” Children’s Sermon (Jesus, the Sin Eraser) It’s time to buy school supplies for the new school year – that’s a perfect time to share this object lesson on how Jesus erases sin. Use the link below to download and then scroll down to watch the our teaching example video. Easy Print PDF –Download Teaching Video “Back To School” Children’s Sermon https://youtu.be/0zDlKyoA17I Back to School Message for Kids “Back to School” Children’s Message: Jesus, the Sin Eraser   Main Objective: The goal of this object lesson is to communicate to students how Christ took on our sin and shame, in order to renew our lives and make us whole again. Law/Gospel Theme: The Law reminds us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But through Jesus, our sins are erased in God’s eyes! The Gospel proclaims us free and forgiven. Optional Materials:  White paper, pencils, erasers Bonus Ideas: Some more inspiration for your teaching (offsite links) Watch our video teaching example of this children’s lesson Browse sermons for kids or see our other Back to School object lessons and Back To School Sunday School Lesson See the message titled Disciples Go Back To School from Sermons 4 Kids Don’t miss our new school year coloring pages (included in the download) Note: All elements are open to adjustment. Cater to the needs and ages of your group “Jesus the Sin Eraser” Object Lesson  Greet students, and if desired hand each one a plain sheet of paper and a pencil. Hello! So what do we have here? Look, I have this nice white sheet of paper. It’s so fresh and clean! You know, when God first made the world, He hoped it would be fresh and clean like this. However, something bad happened because sin entered the world. Do you know what sin is? Sins are the yucky things that we do when we disobey God. Sometimes we don’t listen to our parents, or our teachers, or we do things we know we shouldn’t do. That’s all sin. And sin makes God sad! He knows it is not good for our lives or our relationship with Him. So it’s sort of like this pretty paper got messed up (Start scribbling all over the paper). Go ahead, make a mess on your paper too! (Allow kids to draw or scribble on their papers). And I might try to fix this mess…but it just keeps getting worse (scribble more). Phew! Now it’s all gray and icky. Fortunately, I have something that might help! (hold up eraser) Look at this lovely pink eraser. It’s fresh and clean. Maybe the eraser can help get rid of all these marks. Let’s try it (allow kids to watch as you scrub and erase the pencil away from the paper). Hey, it looks like the white is showing through again, isn’t it? But uh-oh….the paper is getting white now, but look at the eraser! (Hold up eraser for students to see that the eraser has become gray and smudged from the pencil). Now the pink eraser is getting dirty! You know, this is kind of like what happens when we let Jesus take over our lives. We start out all messy and full of yucky sins. But when Jesus came to Earth, He was willing to take on all of that bad stuff! He made Himself the one who was punished for the bad things we do, and He even got killed! He took all that gray mess and made it His. The good news is that when He did that, He took away our sins! He got rid of the mess and scribbles so that we could be fresh and clean again. When we realize that, God allows us to live new lives and to one day live in Heaven with Him. The Bible tells us that He forgives all of the bad things we have ever done, and even things we have not yet done, but probably will do! We make mistakes, and sometimes our papers get scribbled on again. But Jesus is the best eraser out there. Don’t forget to go to Him for help! Let’s thank God for that, shall we? Children’s Prayer Moment (Have kids repeat each line, if desired) Dear God, Thank you for the words of the Bible Thank you for your grace and love Thank you for washing away my sins Thank you for loving me no matter what! Thank you for Jesus In His name, Amen!   Scripture Reference to Extend this Lesson The Lord is compassionate and gracious,     slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse,     nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve     or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,     so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west,     so far has he removed our transgressions from us. –Psalm 103:8-12 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. –Romans 5:6-11 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. –Isaiah 1:18 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 6:20-23
  • Back to School (Sunday School Lesson) Armor of God Back-To-School-Armor-of-God-LessonDownload Back To School Bible Lesson for Kids Print this Back to School lesson for Sunday School to help prepare them for the first day of school! Going back-to-school is an exciting and challenging time for kids. They can make new friends, adjust to new teachers, and get back to a more structured lifestyle. It can also be a time of testing for their faith. This free Bible lesson will helps school children find strength in Jesus Christ when challenges arise. This teaching plan deals with issues such as temptation and resisting Satan’s lies. *This is a guest post by Lindsey Whitney from Growing Kids Ministry. Lesson Title: The Armor of God (at school)Bible Lesson Reference: Ephesians 6:10-20Target Age Group: Kindergarten – 5th grade (can be adapted for youth ministry)Learning Context: Sunday School or Kids ChurchTarget Time Frame: 30 minutes Supplies You Will Need: Bucket and strips of paper: Put inside the bucket common struggles for kids such as: Not doing homework correctly, leaving someone out, talking bad about someone, not listening to a teacher, being selfish with your stuff, not helping others, making fun of others, etc Items to represent those listed in the Armor of God (belt, helmet, sword, shield, shoes, breastplate). Look for toy versions of these items or make props from cardboard. For a simple alternative, use cutouts from this Armor of God activity. Bonus Ideas (free resources from other websites): Coloring Pages, Puzzles, Games, Songs, and Other Activities Children’s Ministry Magazine has a great list of 9 Back To School activities for kids. They have fun games, craft ideas, and activities that children will love. Sermons 4 Kids: Group Activities / Crossword / Word Search / Worship Bulletin: (DOC) (PDF) Download our Free Back To School Coloring Pages Children’s Bible Lesson: Back to School Sunday Well, kids – it’s here, the start of school!  Some of you are already in school (raise your hand if that’s you), some of you are just about to start (raise your hand if that’s you) and some of you are waiting another year before starting school. One thing many people do to get ready for school is go school shopping.  I love back-to-school shopping so much, I did a little myself.  I got some glue (show glue), crayons (show), and some books for my daughter (show).  Of course, that was just for fun.  You probably needed all the things that you go while back to school shopping. Well, I’ve been thinking… there’s something everyone in this room needs for school that you probably haven’t even thought about.  You need it (point to a child), you need it, and you need.  Everyone needs it! What is it?  It’s the armor of God.  Now, don’t sweat it if you’ve never heard of the armor of God.  That’s what we’ll be talking about tonight!  If you’ve brought your Bible with you, you’ll find the armor of God in Ephesians 6, and that’s what we’ll be reading from tonight (pause to let kids find it in their Bibles). Okay, we’ll be starting in verse ten.  Would someone like to read that?  (Allow child to read) Hey, that sounds like a song we sang tonight, huh?  So, God wants us to be strong, and He tells us how to do it too!  In the very next verse, verse 11, the Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the devil’s tricks. Bucket of Trouble – New School Year Can Be Hard Now, you may be wondering what kind of things the devil might try to trick you into doing.  To help us out, we’ve got this bucket of tricks… (put inside the bucket common struggles for kids such as: Not doing homework correctly, leaving someone out, talking bad about someone, not listening to a teacher, being selfish with your stuff, not helping others, making fun of others, etc).   I’m going to pull a few out and I want you to think about if this thing is something maybe the devil tried to trick YOU into doing.   (Pull out a few and read, pause to allow kids to think) So, there are all kinds of tricks we need to be prepared to fight against. That’s why we need God’s armor! Let’s keep reading for more instructions.  Verse twelve tells us our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. Even if you attend a Christian school, you need God’s help everyday. The Bible gives us some awesome equipment Have you guys ever seen one of those cartoons with a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other?  No? Armor of God Coloring Pages PDF –Download Coloring page illustration of the Armor of God Bible Application: You Can Wear God’s Armor Back to School We’ve got to get ready for battle! Now, if my assistant could come up (have adult leader or kid come to help), we’ll get this armor on! Let’s check out verse 14 – can someone read it for me? So, we start with the belt of truth – hand belt to assistant (you can try to be realistic or give them a crazy belt to wear).    In order to fight the devil, we’ve got to know the truth.  Where can we find the truth?  (Kids respond).  That’s right, in the Bible! (Hold up your Bible)  So, all you have to do is carry this around, maybe stick it in your book bag, maybe stuff it under your pillow and you’ll be all set, right?  NO! You’ve got to READ it to know the truth.  Maybe read one verse or one chapter a day… read it by yourself or with your parents… read it at breakfast or dinner, or at bedtime – whatever you choose, the important thing is that you (help me out kids): READ IT! Okay, now the breastplate of righteousness (stick on volunteer).  Who can tell me what righteousness is? Doing the RIGHT thing.  Sometimes it’s hard to know what the right thing is.  Sometimes you don’t feel like doing the right things. What do you think we can do if that happens?  (Read the Bible, ask our parents, ask a teacher, pray about it, ask the pastor). You’ve got to have something on your feet.  In verse fifteen, it says to have feet shod (put some shoes on) with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace.  Now, this was a little confusing to me – so I took out my cool Bible tool, the commentary and read what it said about this verse. (Read from NIV Application Commentary) It says: Willingness to share the gospel It also means a readiness for all of life, being careful about speech and actions Also, showing peace and love to others Well, it wouldn’t be complete armor with a shield – verse sixteen says to take up the shield of faith so we can fight off Satan’s attacks.  Now, back in the day – those shields were huge!   My Bible commentary says about 4 feet by 2 ½ feet (try to show kids dimensions).  And many times soldiers would line up next to each other and put their shields really close so nothing could get by.  When they did this, they could push right over the enemy and not get hurt.  We can learn something from that kids! Sometimes we need more than just ourselves to fight against the devil.  That’s why it’s important to choose good friends that will stand and fight with you.  Friends who are also trying to do the right thing. Our suit of armor is almost complete.  Let’s take a look at what we’ve got so far. First, we’ve got the belt of _________________ (truth).  Right!  And where do we find truth? Next, we’ve got the breastplate of __________________ (righteousness).  Very good.  What does righteousness mean? Okay, here our feet are fitted with ___________ (readiness). We’re holding the shield of ___________________ (faith).  And who do we have faith in? (God)  It is our relationship with God, our faith, that protects us from evil attacks. Our last two pieces are the helmet of salvation (put helmet on volunteer) and the sword of the Spirit (give sword to volunteer) and both are very important! Our heads are pretty important, that’s why you have to wear a helmet for so many things.  Riding a bike? You need a helmet!  Skateboarding?  Same thing!  Playing football?  Strap that helmet on! What are some other things we need helmets for? (Allow kids to respond).  We wear helmets for all these things because our heads need protected!  Our brain is pretty important!  Likewise, salvation is our ultimate source of protection.  When we are saved, we are a child of God, and we are able to see the tricks of Satan better. I’m reminded of a movie… in the movie, one of the characters can control other people’s minds.  He can read their thoughts and even make them do things.  However, another one of the characters – Magneto, makes a helmet to protect his mind.  Whenever he had the helmet on, the professor couldn’t read his thoughts.  The helmet of salvation is like that.  When we are saved, friends with God, Satan has a much harder time making us do bad things. Last, we’ve got the sword of the Spirit, which the Bible tells us is the Word of God.  We can fight Satan with the Word of God, the Bible!  That’s why it’s important to memorize Scripture.   When Satan tries to tell us to start a rumor about someone we don’t like, we can think of the verse that says, “Love your Enemies”.   When Satan tries to tell us to blow off our homework and not do a good job, we can think of the verse that says “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” (Col 3:12).  And if you can’t think of a verse, what Cool bible tool can you use?  (Concordance) I want us to read the last verse of this passage too, to finish out.  Can someone read verse 18 for me?  What does it command us to do?  Pray!  So, let’s head to prayer circle and do just that! “Back To School” Supplies Object Lessons Backpack – You can carry God’s Word with you.“Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”Psalm 119:11 Pencil & Paper – You can write out Bible verses to remind you of God’s love.“Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.”Proverbs 7:3 Eraser – God’s forgiveness erases my mistakes.“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”Ephesians 4:32 Crayons – God created this wonderful world in color for us to enjoy. He also gave us the rainbow to remind us of His promise to us.“When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:16 Tape – Tape helps to bind a ripped page just like we as the Word of God can bind hurts.“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”Isaiah 61:1 Water Bottle – Water is refreshing can quenches your thirst. Jesus is the living water that is eternal.“Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 Books – God’s Word is THE most important book we have. Math and English are important, but they are not eternal.“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”2 Timothy 3:16-17 Teacher (picture of or doll dressed like one) – Our teachers in school guide our learning just like our teachers at church (Sunday School teachers, preachers, etc.) guide our understanding of what the Bible says.“Train up a child in the way he should go,Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”Proverbs 22:6 Friends (pictures of or dolls) – Everyone wants to have friends, but we need to make sure we choose wisely.“Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.”1 Corinthians 15:33“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”Proverbs 12:15 Lunchbox – A lunchbox carries our lunch. It can remind us of the fruit of the spirit that we can carry with us at all times.“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”Galatians 5:22-23 Clothes – Getting new clothes is an exciting time for most kids. We need to clothe ourselves with Christ. Just remember, WWJD (What What Jesus Do?).“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”Romans 13:14 More Back to School Lessons for Children’s Ministry 1. “Back to School” Children’s Sermon (Sharp Pencils) 2. Back to School Bible Object Lessons (School Supplies Backpack Sermons for Kids) 3. Back to School Coloring Pages (Easy Printables) 4. Back to School Event Ideas for Churches
  • “Fruit of the Spirit” for Kids – 9 Lessons & Coloring Pages (100% Free) Complete Download: 9 lessons, worksheets, coloring pages Fruit of the Spirit – CompleteDownload Use the link below to download the entire 9 lesson study, including worksheets & coloring pages. This material is 100% free to use in any ministry setting – important – if you like this all-in-one format leave us a comment. This page links to all our ministry resources based on the “Fruit of the Spirit” passage in Galatians 5. This is often a very popular passage for children’s ministry because of the immediate life application. Fruit of the Spirit Lessons (and coloring pages) Love Lesson Plan (coloring sheet – worksheet) Joy Lesson Plan (coloring sheet – worksheet) Peace Lesson Plan (coloring sheet  –worksheet) Patience Lesson Plan (coloring sheet – worksheet) Kindness Lesson Plan (coloring sheet –worksheet) Goodness Lesson Plan (coloring sheet – worksheet) Faithfulness Lesson Plan (coloring sheet – worksheet) Gentleness Lesson Plan (coloring sheet – worksheet) Self-control Lesson Plan (coloring sheet – worksheet) Fruit of the Spirit Game Ideas Fruit Basket Upset game idea Another Fruit of the Spirit game (with video demo) Printable review game Fruit of the Spirit BINGO Try “the Ninja Game” to talk about self-control Fruit of the Spirit Music & Songs Video “We Got the Fruit” from Go Fish Fruit of the Spirit song with online video Another related song “The Fruit” from Seeds Family Worship Learn about another kids worship CD based on this theme “To Be Like Jesus” Even More Ideas Spiritual Fruit object lessons 3 more Fruit of the Spirit activities Fruit of the Spirit word search activity sheet Lesson plan about the Holy Spirit’s role in Spiritual Fruit “Good Heart Farms” Free VBS program based on this Gal. 5 View all our Fruit of the Spirit coloring pages on one page View all of the worksheet reviews on one page Read about making a fruit tray with your kids as a family devotional See related ideas on our Pinterest page

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